Why Being a Foodie Doesn’t Mean You’re a Food Snob

Since when did taking interest in your food become a setup for a stereotype?

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I love food. I love talking about what I ate for dinner, reading about new restaurants, and stalking food Instagrams. I AM that person that makes her friends wait to dig into their dish so I can snap a drool-worthy pic. Food excites and motivates me.

Okay, so maybe I’m a “foodie.” This isn’t a relatively new term, but lately, my fellow gourmets have been given a lot of flack for showing a lot of intrigue in their food. When people picture a foodie they imagine a bearded hipster waiting in line at the newest trending ramen shop with a bottle of cold brew coffee in hand, tweeting about the avocado toast they had for breakfast.

Photo by Heather Feibleman

“Local,” “artisanal,” and “organic” are vocabularies they shape their meals around and they will not consume anything that is not Instagram-worthy. Some people may be rolling their eyes at this point, finding this behavior to be excessive and obnoxious.

GIF courtesy of reactiongifs.us

What if the foodies have it right, though? These individuals are setting a standard for food. They demand real, delectable food that is so damn good they have to tell everyone they know about it. Taking an interest in how exactly that chow got onto your plate is something to consider, not an annoyance.

You are putting food into your body to fuel yourself to take on anything life throws at you at any given moment. We should take pride in our food decisions and feel confident that we know exactly what we are eating. Words like “aioli” or “poutine” look foreign or intimidating, but after a little research, you’ll be sorry you ever steered away from them in the first place.

Photo courtesy of @whiskeyandsoba on Instagram

Not to mention the fact that everyone from the farmer that grew the grub to the chef who cooked and plated put in long, straining hours of work so you could enjoy a kickin’ taco for lunch, so why not actually pay compliments to the chef? Add a picture to your Snap story or describe every detail to your friends, even if you made it yourself (it’s chill to brag a little).

Foodies appreciate nearly every ingredient they put into their mouths. They create time in their day to stop and take in all of the senses their dish enhances for them. Meals become events and mindless eating is not an option.

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Here is the beautiful thing: anybody can be a foodie. You don’t need a beanie or a favorite kombucha brand. It’s all as simple as trying new restaurants in your city and ordering dishes a little out of your comfort zone. Ask the waiter questions about the menu and follow some mouth-watering food accounts on Instagram.

You don’t have to seek out new and trendy bites all the time, just real, quality food. Eventually, you too will have higher standards for food and may find yourself dragging your friends across the city to try the new Korean barbecue food truck with the “to die for” gogi bowl or the stacked line-up of tacos.

Photo courtesy of @foodysfood on Instagram

So instead of shaking your head at the person angling their donut towards the sky for that perfect food in the air shot, join them. Don’t worry – you still get to eat the donut. But taking a moment to appreciate may make that first bite that much sweeter.